Salt Lake City wins $1 million dollar grant for public art addressing the Great Salt
Lake’s environmental crisis
Salt Lake City has been selected as one of eight winning cities across the country to receive $1
million as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. This unique grant program
supports temporary public art projects that address important local civic issues in U.S. cities.
The Salt Lake City Arts Council’s proposed project, “Wake: the Great Salt Lake” aims to address
the shrinking of the Great Salt Lake caused by humans and climate change by curating and
installing several temporary public artworks by diverse local, regional, and internationally
recognized artists that speak to this environmental crisis.
“Public art holds a unique power of activating change and optimism in our communities,” Salt
Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “I am excited about Salt Lake City’s Bloomberg Public
Art Challenge Grant and the action it will inspire. The opportunity for local artists and creators to

harness their talents to encourage stewardship of the Great Salt Lake—the city’s namesake and
one of the most vital ecosystems in our region—is absolutely phenomenal. I look forward to
seeing the creative vision of this work come to life.”
The goal of the project is to bring nationally recognized artists to Salt Lake City in an effort to
educate and inspire both residents and visitors to identify possible solutions and take action on
a local and national level.
“This is the single largest grant ever awarded to our Salt Lake City Arts Council,” said Felicia
Baca, Executive Director. “Our project, entitled ‘Wake: the Great Salt Lake,’ embraces many
definitions of the word ‘wake.’ A wake is a time for reflecting on loss; to wake means regaining
consciousness after a period of rest; and a wake is the turbulence created when one moves
through water. This project will employ the diverse languages of artistic expression to create
ripples of consciousness through our community.”
The Arts Council team has established initial partnerships throughout internal City departments,
local nonprofits, and artists, and is actively working to create partnerships with local tribal
communities, scientists, and diverse community members. In the next two years, both public
and private partners will come together to accomplish this monumental and historically
significant investment in public art dedicated to the Great Salt Lake.
Visit publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org to learn more about the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public
Art Challenge and stay tuned for updates on Salt Lake City’s proposed project.
The mission of the Salt Lake City Arts Council is to promote, present, and support artists and
arts organizations in order to facilitate the development of the arts and expand awareness,
access, and engagement.